Heat In The Dark
by shadowjack12345
Summary: This story was originally deleted for being too explicit but now I've finally got around to toning it down. This is part of my All Is Fair series and is set after A Friend Indeed. While I have removed any explicit material, there are still adult themes in here, fair warning. Enjoy! The original version is posted on adultfanfiction and I have the link/address in my profile.
1. Chapter 1

**Heat In the Dark**

 **Disclaimer: all things and stuff belong to DC**

 **Here's the next little installment in my BBRae series. Not exactly a lemon... I think. Definitely filthy, though.**

The past month had been apparently uneventful for the Titans. Relatively few alerts and only small-time criminals at that. The five friends relaxed, trained and guarded Jump City as a team. For two of them, however, the month had been far more productive. Raven and Beast Boy were progressing ahead of Raven's schedule for physical intimacy, though they hadn't yet been... well, intimate. After appearing before Beast Boy wearing t-shirt and shorts, Raven had, step by step, revealed more of herself to her green boyfriend. Literally. Now, Raven lay in her bed with Beast Boy, both of them only in their underwear. She was surrounded by Beast Boy's near-tangible lust and simultaneously amazed he was able to seem so calm and in control while experiencing such feelings. Eventually, the adrenaline wore off and the couple dozed off in each other's arms. Raven awoke in the middle of the night, finding herself facing away from Beast Boy, her back against his chest. Through the haze of sleep, she revelled in the feel of her skin touching his... but then it became clear why she had awoken.

Nocturnal penile tumescence. She had researched it. Most men knew it as 'morning wood', though she knew it actually happened between three and five times a night during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. The research hadn't remotely prepared her for the reality and despite her desire to remain close, she threw aside her covers and practically leapt from the bed.

"Oh, Azar..." she muttered, looking back up and walking, quietly around to Beast Boy's side of the bed. She shook him gently by the shoulder - even in these circumstances she thrilled a little at the feel of his skin. Eventually, he began to stir, opening one eye to look at Raven.

"Rae? What's goin' on? What time is-" He stopped abruptly as his open eye travelled down Raven's body, still clad only in black underwear. The grin was unstoppable, if he even wanted to. Raven shook her head at him, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Focus, Garfield. You have... an emergency." At her use of the word 'emergency', both of Beast Boy's eyes snapped open and he jumped to his feet. Raven's eyes deliberately avoided him, her lip curled somewhere between a laugh and a wince. Beast Boy finally looked down and then sharply looked back at Raven, eyes even wider and the blood draining from his face.

"Oh man... Rae, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-" he paused at Raven's raised hand.

"It's alright, Garfield. It's natural and can't be helped it just... it caught me with my guard down," she admitted bashfully.

"You mean I... ? You were...?" he asked. Raven nodded, timidly. Beasy Boy clapped his hand over his eyes then drew it down the length of his face, his pallour replaced by an incandescent blush. Raven suspected she could make things worse but her urgency overwhelmed her consideration.

"Can you please point that somewhere else?" she asked, a tinge of panic in her voice. With a squeak, Beast Boy glanced down at himself and used his hands to contain his modesty.

"Excuse me," he muttered before darting out the door. Raven shook her head with a sigh and reluctantly began to chant her mantra, imposing calm on her emotions. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and looked down at herself. Considering the turn the night had taken, perhaps a change of clothes was in order. She opened her drawer and fished out her favourite blue pajamas, laying them on the bed. She stepped toward her hamper and removed her underwear, depositing the items inside. As she turned, there was a light knocking at the door.

"Rae? Can I come in?" whispered Beast Boy. For the rest of her life, Raven would never satisfactorily work out exactly what she was thinking at this exact moment in her life.

"Come in, Garfield." Raven's eyes widened in sudden terror at the 'tap tap' of Beast Boy entering the passcode to her door. He was coming and she was still utterly naked. She was standing in the middle of her room, stark naked, and he was coming in. Tap tap tap. He was coming in. _He was coming in_! The door opened.

"Hey Rae. What are you wearing?" Raven had changed her mind and, at the last moment, had seized the nearest garment to conceal her nudity: her cloak. Beast Boy cocked his head in confusion as his girlfriend stood in front of him, cloak on and hood up, yet her bare feet still poked out from the bottom. He cautiously stepped closer and gently pushed her hood back to see her face flushed and frightened.

"Garfield!" she peeped. He chuckled a little.

"Yeah, 'Garfield'. Rae, what's going..." his words trailed off as he noticed the collar of her uniform was also conspicuously absent. "Rae, what are you wearing under there?" he asked. Raven swallowed.

"Ummmm..." she mumbled. Beast Boy slapped his hands to his face again.

"Awwwww, man! Rae! I know we're not ready, that we have to keep resisting for now... but do ya have to make it so damn difficult?!" he cried. Raven could swear there were actual tears in his eyes.

"Sorry, Garfield. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I've never been particularly good at those," she joked, eliciting a whimper from the tortured changeling.

"Okay, okay... I'm gonna go back to my room for tonight. Things are too... charged up, or something," he said. Raven nodded, knowing he was right but still disappointed.

"Very well."

"But first!" he said, pointing his finger at the ceiling, before marching forward and holding Raven's shoulders. He leaned down and kissed her hard, yet Raven could still sense he was holding back. He stepped back and grinned at her. "Now I can at least say I've kissed you almost naked," he laughed. Raven mock-scowled.

"Except you won't say it, will you? To anyone."

"'Course not. But I could, and that's something, I guess." With a wink and a smirk, he turned around and exited once again, leaving Raven to briefly meditate (again!) and sleep alone.

 **The clean version of this story begins here! It's set after A Friend Indeed in my All Is Fair series, so it didn't seem fair that people who don't like smutty stuff can't read it. The chapters might be shorter, as I'm essentially just chopping out the smut and re-wording the conversations. Still, here it is for everyone ^_^**

 **-Jack**


	2. Chapter 2

**Heat In the Dark 2**

 **I've got some basic, blurry outlines in my head but I'm not sure where I'm gong with this... so I apologise now in case it gets weird :p**

 **Disclaimer: yada yada yada**

Raven sat at her desk in her room, tapping away at her laptop. After last night's... indulgences, Beast Boy had been dismayed but understanding when Raven had asked for a little alone time after breakfast this morning. Truthfully, she had no need of extra meditation but instead wanted time to order her thoughts. Things between her and Beast Boy had moved further and faster than she had dared to hope and now... she felt they were close to their goal. So, as she sat idly browsing, Raven decided to do some preparatory research. She learned very quickly to mute the sound. Ten minutes later and Raven stared at her laptop, head tipped to the left and resting on her left palm with her fingers covering her left eye. Her right was wide, her eyebrows raised in incredulity. She had found a collection of videos online and, depite several very large misgivings, had clicked on one. The couple onscreen were very... imaginative. And passionate. And bendy. Raven couldn't tear her gaze away, her emotions showing great interest.

Timid, of course, had hidden inside her hood and refused to emerge, trying to block the images from her mind. Rude found this reaction hilarious and so encouraged Raven to keep watching. Knowledge simply saw it as new information and was eager to learn, no matter the subject. Wisdom saw it as a valuable tool yet reminded Raven it wouldn't be completely true to life. Happy blushed and giggled like a naughty child. Brave, seeing Timid's reaction, immediately and predictable adopted an extreme opposite opinion.

"This shouldn't faze us. We're Raven, we can take anything!" Happy giggled louder at the unintentional double entendre. "We should find more videos, pictures, turn up the sound, strip off and make our own videos! We should-" Wisdom stepped in, interrupting Brave before she could attempt to convince Raven to embrace a career in pornography. Rage found an animalistic appeal in the images and kept silent. Love was surprisingly apathetic. Despite their enthusiasm, she could sense no love in the act. Of course, these were 'actors', paid to engage in such things for entertainment. Raven mutely clicked the next video. This one featured a real couple and Love immediately felt the difference, biting her lip and blushing while hugging herself. The loudest, of course, was Lust, a relatively new emotion, only really manifesting as a separate personality after Raven had gotten involved with Beast Boy. She took in every single detail, every position, every moan, whimper and scream. She wanted to try every single thing she saw and this curiosity, tempered by Wisdom and Timid, translated to Raven. So far, though there had been a few positions, the couple in the video had been fairly conventional... then they weren't.

"What are they... oh, Azar!" Raven muttered to herself, though she continued to watch. She shook her head and paused the video during an act she was definitely not flexible enough to attempt. "What am I thinking? We haven't even done it the normal way yet and I'm thinking about... _that_!? I need to keep Lust under control..."

Raven continued her research, Knowledge taking noted on her interest as she explored different niches, preferences and fetishes. BDSM? Rage, Brave and Lust all liked that one but Raven decided it was _far_ too early if it ever happened at all. Foot fetish? Ew. Exhibitionism/Voyeurism? Hmmm... Raven had no interest in wandering around nude where people cold see her... but her relationship with Beast Boy had involved a lot of 'look, don't touch' moments and she had learned to like the feeling of his eyes on her, even if she had chickened out last night. She imagined how he might have reacted had she neglected to cover up.

"Oooooo..." she murmured. She _liked_ that idea. Lust liked it too. Raven almost felt the emotion whispering in her ear:

"Maybe... we should practice a little?" Raven's eyes half-closed and her cheeks reddened. Despite already making sure before starting her research, she glanced at the locked door and drawn curtains. Then she kicked off her shoes, standing with bare feet in the center of her room. Breathing through her mouth now and unable to hear over her own heartbeat, Raven gripped the hem of her shirt and started to lift it...

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

Raven flinched at the sound and then looked down at her hands, almost like she's been splashed with cold water. She hastily pulled her shirt back down and moved to answer the door. On the other side was a typically jubilant Starfire. Before Raven had even greeted her, the alien swooped into her room and hovered just in front of her bed.

"Friend Raven! I have come to inform you that friend Beast Boy is moping like a kicked canine in your absence. I hope you are not having difficulties..." Raven marvelled at Starfire's ability to say something like that with a smile on her face.

"No, it's nothing like that, Star. I just need some me time this morning." Starfire nodded and tilted her head in curiosity.

"For what purpose did you need... the... alone time?" Starfire's gaze had landed on Raven's laptop. The empath paled even more than usual.

"Um, Star? This isn't-"

"How joyous! You have embraced the nudism!" Starfire gushed, happy that Raven had acquired a new 'hobby'.

"No... Star, wait. I wasn't... What are you do-PHLGMP!" Raven's face was now hidden by Starfire's discarded skirt. When Raven removed the item, she saw her friend already stripped down to her underwear and reaching around to unhook her bra. "STARFIRE, STOP!" The alien girl froze.

"You do not wish me to join you in your new pursuit, Raven?" she asked, innocently. Raven hurriedly closed her door and explained her 'research' to Starfire. Even though Raven left out some of her more embarrassing thoughts, she was blushing to her hairline when she finished. Starfire sat next to Raven on her bed, still in her underwear. Raven knew that Tamaranians tended to have a much more relaxed view on nudity. In fact, all of the Titans had seen the alien princess in all her glory at one time or another. She had learned of human modesty, though she didn't fully understand it, being confused, for example, by the difference in people's reactions to bikinis and underwear, despite there being little difference (in her opinion) between them.

"I was just... exploring options, Star." Raven ended. Starfire's smile had become decidedly mischievous.

"So while you are not becoming a nudist, you are thinking of allowing friend Beast Boy see you like that?" Starfire nodded toward the laptop, the screen still showing an image of a young woman, nonchalantly cooking while completely nude.

"Hmmm. I don't think he'd appreciate it if I started grilling bacon in front of him. But... maybe. Yes." Starfire giggled.

"Friend Raven! You are becoming decidedly scandalous!" Raven only smirked.

"Says the girl who just tried to throw a naked party in my bedroom." Starfire giggled again and scooped up her clothes before opening the door and flying down the corridor, still partially undressed. Raven heard Beast Boy's voice drift down the corridor and quickly shut down her laptop.

"Whoa, Star! Polka dots, huh? They suit you." Beast Boy appeared in Raven's doorway. "And I thought I was the only one who got to play with you in their underpants," he quipped, waggling those eyebrows. Raven shook her head but smiled.

"Long story. what's up?"

"Well, I thought if you were finished with your me-time, it might be time for some B-time," Beast Boy said, indicating himself. Then, with a flourish, he presented a steaming cup of tea. "... and tea-time." Raven felt her smile widen and nodded.

"I'd like that, Garfield."

 _Buzz._

 **Pretty sure I managed to keep it rated M, despite all the vague references to whatever porn Raven was watching. Hope you like!**

 **-Jack**


	3. Chapter 3

**Heat In the Dark 3**

 **Disclaimer blah blah**

 **As evidenced in the last chapter, Beast Boy and Raven are at least able to look each other in the eye after the rather more intense first chapter. What will happen next?**

Beast Boy sat on the couch, focused on two things: the controller in his hand and the TV screen in front of him. Cyborg sat by his side, equally focused. This particular game was co-operative so there was no taunting or trash-talking, especially at this crucial stage... the final battle. The two onscreen avatars battled their infernal enemy with expert timing and perfect teamwork that would have impressed even Nightwing. Their enemy fell and the two young heroes exhaled and sat back to bask in the glorious happy ending. Without looking away, the two friends bumped fists in victory. They hade done it all before, of course but the satisfaction never wore off. As the credits began to roll, conversation started.

"So B," Cyborg began. "How come you're wasting time with me instead of your girlfriend?" The jibe was light and friendly and Beast Boy barely reacted, only answering the question honestly.

"She's out. She took Star and went shopping for something, she wouldn't say what. I used up all my lives, too." Cyborg looked quizzically at Beast Boy's reply.

"Lives? I don't get it..." Cyborg said. Beast Boy chuckled, slightly embarrassed.

"I'm... not so great at subtlety. So when Raven is just teasing me or honestly doesn't want to tell me something... well, we came up with the lives. I'm allowed to ask the same question three times and if she still hasn't answered, then she won't and I have to give up. It works for me, I guess." Beast Boy let loose a self-deprecating laugh, which Cyborg accompanied with his own warm chuckle. The pair descended into a comfortable silence, staring at the credits but not really paying attention. Cyborg's human eye flicked toward his friend a few times, considering something. After reaching a decision, he opened his mouth to speak again.

"I called Sarah last night," he said simply. Beast Boy arched an eyebrow at his friend but made an effort to seem nonchalant.

"Sarah Simm? Your Sarah?" he asked. Cyborg nodded mutely. Beast Boy waited for him to speak. It took a long moment.

"My Sarah... I stopped thinking of her like that years ago. That's what I told myself anyway." He paused again. Beast Boy spoke up.

"You never said why you split up in the first place. I figured you'd spill when you wanted to but..."

"I never wanted to... We split because... because I couldn't offer her much." Beast Boy frowned and started to speak. "It's okay man... What I meant is that I couldn't see a future. Never mind family, I couldn't even feel it when I held her hand. But now..."

"What did she say?" Beast Boy asked, eyes wide a second he was worried when Cyborg's face stayed stonily neutral. Then a wide grin slowly appeared.

"She told me upfront that there had been someone else since then... but he's gone now. She didn't seem to wanna talk about it so it wasn't on good terms, I bet. She's... she's meeting me for coffee at the weekend." Cyborg's smile had only widened and become more excited. Beast Boy had learned of his 'self-improvement' project. With that and the bracelet from Raven that allowed him to feel... well he knew Cyborg wasn't only thinking of holding hands if he and Sarah were together again. He hoped it was easier for them than it was turning out to be for him and Raven. There was one more question raised by Cyborg's earlier comment, however...

"You've though about a family, Cy?" Beast Boy asked, hoping it wasn't too sore a subject. Cyborg's satisfied smirk allayed his concerns.

"Yeah, sort of. It was obvious early on that it wasn't an option for me after... all this. Or so I thought..." he teased. Beast Boy's curiosity was piqued and he waited for Cyborg to continue. "I had a eureka moment when I got the bracelet and I started thinking about all this stuff again. Sex cells essentially have half my DNA, right? The chromosome pairs split up and each sperm gets one set of chromosomes, so they con combine with the chromosomes in the female egg and..." At this point, Cyborg saw Beast Boy's eyes glazing over and sighed. "I think I can use the DNA in what cells I have left to artificially grow a sperm cell. So, in theory, I could be a father one day. If I decide to." Beast Boy raised his hand for a high five, which Cyborg gratefully accepted.

"Dude!" Beast Boy started. "You're a freakin' genius! I bet this could help other people, too!" Cyborg nodded shyly.

"Yeah, I've been talking to STAR Labs, they've always got the best tech. This method could work a lot better for some people than current fertility treatments or IVF. Wait and see, I guess."

"Man... I hope you've made room for your Nobel Prize!" Beast Boy laughed, then he moved to shut down the gamestation, the credits having finished. The silence returned as he worked, broken again by Cyborg.

"Have you thought about that sort of thing, BB?" At Cyborg's question, Beast Boy snapped upright, surprise on his face. He looked at Cyborg... then out the window... then back at Cyborg.

"Well...no. Not really. Not yet. Raven and I-"

"I _don't_ want to know, man!" Cyborg interrupted. "The thing is, BB... you and Raven are, individually, very unusal beings. A half-demon girl and a boy who alters his DNA with a thought? You're both unique and, medically speaking, very... complex. The two of you together multiplies that complexity. I'm not saying you need to think about family life or whatever but, if you like... I can maybe run some tests."

"... I'll need to speak to Rae about it but... I think that's a good idea, Cy." The metallic hero nodded in agreement.

"Okay. I should tell you now that there's a good chance I won't be able to do this work alone. I might need to involve STAR Labs, maybe a gynaecologist for Raven... maybe Doctor Mid-Nite from the JSA - he has more experience than anyone with metahuman medicine."

"Sure, Cy... that makes sense." Cyborg left the room, still muttering to himself about tests and doctors. Beast Boy stood still, staring at nothing. His relationship with Raven has been necessarily slow. They had each proclaimed their love for the other and were getting closer and closer to consumating it. He knew, deep in his heart that he wanted no-one but Raven... so why hadn't he envisaged their future? Even now he struggled to see it. Someone like Nightwing could conceivably retire from superheroism: just take off the mask and don't put it back on. But the rest of the team... well take him. Retire as Beast Boy? He _was_ Beast Boy (though he was considering a name change as he got older). Green skin and the powers... he would never be normal, even if he wanted to be. Raven _was_ Raven. Cyborg _was_ Cyborg. Starfire _was_ Starfire. He couldn't even see himself doing any other job. With two superhero parents, was it even possible to raise a family? He supposed the tower might be one of the safest places a child, or anyone, could be. His head was hurting now, feeling the wight of the ideas it held. He realised that, even if he had never used the word, he did indeed want to marry Raven... some day. And the idea didn't frighten him. That was how he _knew_ it was what he wanted. He wasn't sure how Raven felt about marriage, at least in the traditional sense. Maybe he could find out about Azerathi customs from somewhere, there might be hints on what he could do. He shook his head and smirked at himself. There was no rush...

"Calm down, Garfield. Fools rush in... and get smushed by startled Ravens." His ruminations were interrupted by the alarm. The monitor flickered on to show Raven's face. Cyborg ran in to the room, closely followed by Nightwing,

"Raven," Nightwing asked, in full leader mode. "What's your status." Raven seemed more... inconvenienced than anything.

"Believe it or nor, Starfire and I have somehow got into a fight with a giant robot. When did our lieves become a cartoon?" Beast Boy stifled a laugh and, after some more information was exchanged, set off in the T-Car with the others to join Raven and Starfire. He still attempted to picture a life with Raven. His smile never left his face for the entire journey.

 **Okay then, there we go. I wanted to shine a light on Cyborg's personal life, seeing as I turned it upside-down in 'A Friend In Need'. Thoughts about what he might do sparked this idea about Beast Boy and Raven planning or least imagining their future. They've already committed to each other but now I want them to really think about what that means. Obviously, there will be a little giant robot action in the next chapter... I think I've got the end of this story worked out. Now I just need to work out the best route to get there! Laters.**

 **-Jack**


	4. Chapter 4

**Heat In the Dark 4**

 **Disclaimer: Jack owns nothing!**

 **Odd last chapter: no fluff, no action... but Beast Boy got served a huge reality sandwich! No crusts.**

The three male Titans all rushed to the girls' location in the T-Car. While focused, Raven's tone had suggested there was little to fear from the 'giant robot', so the boys were not especially anxious. Soon, it was obvious which way they were going: the mechanical behemoth was clearly visible above the surrounding buildings. Cyborg selected a spot to park the T-Car and the three heroes ascended to the rooftops, Nightwing with a grapnel and Cyborg lifted by a green pterasaur. Soon, they were as near to the battle as the rooftops would allow and they could see their enemy in its entirety. It was roughly 80 feet tall, humanoid in appearance, though its head looked more like a bike helmet than anything. Its structure was otherwise unremarkable: no obvious weapons, bland grey colour, no identifying marks. They then witnessed Starfire hurl a large star-bolt at the machine, and the space around it discoloured somehow, then resolved into a definite outline: a shield. The star-bolt fizzled out against the blue energy, which soon faded from sight again. Cyborg was already tapping away at his control panel, analysing the robot's shield. Raven had spotted the boys and descended to meet them. Her face looked even more irritated than earlier.

"It seems Starfire and I can't get through that blasted force field. This vexes me..." she said. Even in this situation, Beast Boy had to stifle a laugh. Raven opened her mouth to say something more to the changeling but was interrupted by a surprised Cyborg.

"What? Sending that here to face us is just... dumb!" he remarked. On seeing the non-plussed faces of his team-mates, he elaborated. "The shield is a sonic shell construct and is _extremely_ vulnerable to sonic weaponry. Like this!" Cyborg's right hand shifted into the familiar sonic cannon and - almost carelessly - he fired a blast at the robot. The blue energy field reappeared, flickered and vanished with a bang. Nightwing pounded his fist into his other hand, already planning how to take the robt down.

"Okay team, first we need to-"

"X'HAAAAAAAAL!" Starfire, releasing her frustration as bright green energy, screamed toward the robot, accelerating and pointing her glowing green fists forward. She ducked her head at the moment of impact and tore right through the machine's chest, erupting from its back with another burst of emerald fire. The other Titans watched with open mouths (except Raven) as the alien girl turned in the air and began to approach them.

"Damn, Nightwing," Cyborg muttered. "You'd better treat her right."

"Or make sure you keep you will up to date..." added Beast Boy.

Nightwing only nodded mutely. They all knew that Starfire was strong but rarely did she demonstrate just how powerful she was. After another moment of astonishment, Beast Boy began hooting and clapping for the alien princess, Cyborg joining him soon after. Released from his stupor by their celebration, Nightwing stepped forward to meet Starfire as she alighted on the roof... but something was wrong. She was only a few feet from the roof when she fell the rest of the way, stumbling and falling to her knees, her shoulder meeting the roof shortly afterwards. The team ran forward, Nightwing grasping Starfire's shoulder and turning her onto her back. She was still breathing, still conscious in fact, but her eyes were puffy and she coughed into her hand, occasionally sneezing and shooting green sparks from her fingertips. Cyborg returned to his control panel...

"She's covered with particulate chromium!" he cried. On closer inspection, the others could see the glittering dust coating their comrade. They eached moved to help any way they could: Raven used her powers to lift as much as she could but it was delicate work and slow going. Nightwing pulled a brush normally designed to apply fingerprint powder and began gently brushing the chromium from Starfire's face. Beast Boy, unsure how else he could assist, held Starfire's hands, making sure she didn't inadvertently transfer more of the substance to her eyes. Cyborg scanned her in more detail and directed Raven. After ten minutes work, Starfire was clear of the chromium and, while she had stopped sneezing, still felt weak and suffered a headache. Nightwing , now assured of Starfire's wellbeing, switched back to leader mode.

"I didn't see any chrome plating on the robot...Chromium is used in stainless steel but that wouldn't cause a reaction... Why would there be metallic chromium?" he thought, aloud. His eyes widened as the obvious answer screamed at him. "It's a-"

"Trap?" said a new voice, belonging to a shaded figure emerging from a fire escape ladder on a taller, neighbouring building. In the same moment, the figure aimed a curious contraption that resembled a large catapult and fired. The unusually large projectile hit Raven and knocked her down, her cloak falling over her. Beast Boy immediately ran to her, relieved to hear her complaining about grazing her knee. He helped her to a sitting position and stared, appalled at her left arm. Wrapped around it was a gauntlet, bearing magical symbols very similar to those used by Slade to imprison her months ago. That wasn't what upset Beast Boy, however. Affixed to the gauntlet was a nondescript grey package which, according to Beast Boy's nose and quickly confrmed by Cyborg's sensors, was plastic explosive. On the underside of the gauntlet was a time display that seemed to show 5 minutes, but wasn't counting. Horrified, Nightwing turned to face their ambusher, lips curling in a savage scowl. It could only be...

"Slade!" Nightwing snarled, bracing himself to fight. The villain stepped into the light. The sight of him made all the Titans mildly nauseous. They fought many villains... Slade might be the only one they truly hated.

"Robin." the villain said, mockingly. "Before we get into it, I should set the rules." He waved a small device above his head. "This is the detonator... when I hit the trigger, the timer will start. When the timer runs out, it will explode, killing anyone near it... even the alien, given her current condition." Nightwing growled at him. "I should proabably also tell you it has a proximity sensor: if any of you get more than 10 feet from Raven, the timer will start automatically... with only 30 seconds on the clock. Or, more specifically, any of you but 'Robin', here. He is free to follow me all he likes!" With that, the villain leapt from the fire escape to a drainpipe, sliding all the way down to the ground. Nightwing was already in pursuit, shouting back up at his teammates.

"Stay together! I'll be back." Very soon, the chase was out of view for the other Titans. Nightwing sprinted after the retreating Slade, through alleys, down into the sewer, back up to the street, up to the rooftops, back down again... Slade eventually turned to face his pursuer in an empty parking lot, surrounded by warehouses. Without speaking, he triggered the detonator. Nightwing attacked.

Back on the roof, the Titans fell deadly silent as the bomb beeped and began counting down. After starting numbly for a few moments, Raven broke the silence first.

"You all need to get away from here! Away from me!" Cyborg shook his head.

"That'll only set it off early. We need to give Nightwing as much time as possible. Raven relented. The gauntlet was suppressing her powers as well, just like the last time. She had confiscated that charm, which was very rare and prohibitively expensive. She had no idea how or where Slade had acquired another. She looked at Beast Boy... his eyes were wild and fearful, boring into her own. Now that she was paying attention, she could feel the terror rolling from him. Starfire's eyes had begun to water again, but not from her allergy. Cyborg's jaw was clenched and his hands shook. Raven herself wasn't sure what to think... she believed in Nightwing, perhaps even more than Starfire did. His rescue of her young self during Trigon's attack had cemented that belief. He would save them. He would save _her_. Unbidden, a recollection came to her of Nightwing speaking to her after Beast Boy's kidnapping.

' _I'll save him, Raven. I'll save him._ ' She had believed him that time as well... but he had failed. A chill ran up her spine as she glanced at her arm - 4 minutes, thirty seconds.

"It'll be alright. We'll be alright," Raven found herself saying, no longer sure if she believed it. The time passed uneasily, each Titan feeling their hearts sink further and further as the clock ticked. Raven's left hand was in Beast Boy's, her right in Starfire's. Cyborg contunally examined the gauntlet but had yet to find a way to unlock it. The time just kept slipping away... 2 minutes remaining. Starfire began to whimper.

"R-Raven..." she sobbed. Raven only squeezed her hand. They were heroes. They all faced death in the name of justice. This was not how Raven had wanted to die... but she was determined her friends would live.

"Listen... you have to be ready. When... _if_ the clock reaches thirty seconds, it won't make a difference if you set off the proximity trigger. I want you to run." Starfire sobbed again, Cyborg made an unidentifiable sound in his throat. Beast Boy only stared, the occasional tear slipping from his eyes. He couldn't quite believe what was happening. Less than an hour ago, sitting at home, he had even started to imagine a life with Raven. A future. He hadn't even thought what he might do if, for one or both of them, that life was cut short. That was a mistake, he knew now... they faced danger every day, they should have at least thought about consequences.

' _Stupid...STUPID!'_ he thought. After that, his thought dissolved into a mess, images of Raven's smile mixed with what he saw right now and, cruelly, his imagination spat out an imagined funeral for the demoness. He kissed her hand then, closing his eyes and trying desperately to wish it all away. The four friends waited, now feeling that their heart had reversed direction and headed for their throats.

45 seconds.

Starfire squeezed Raven's hand, sobbing louder now.

"Friend Raven... I love you very much and I shall never forget you." The alien girl, with a final, wailing cry, released Raven's hand. Cyborg took it and leaned in close.

40 seconds.

"I'm sorry, Rae-Rae... I'll miss you." Raven nodded her farewell to her adoptive brother. Then Cyborg picked up the still weakened Starfire, headed to the edge of the roof and leapt all the way to the ground, running for cover. Beast Boy stared after them helplessly. He looked at Raven again... she looked brave but he could smell the fear... the sadness.

"Garfield... you have to go," Raven whispered, voice cracking.

30 seconds.

Beast Boy began to tug at the gauntlet, trying to get his fingers under the straps around Raven's forearm. It was useless. Raven winced and yelped as he inadvertently wrenched her arm and nipped her flesh.

"Garfield." ...nothing. "Garfield!" He ignored her. "Garfield! You have to-" she stopped when she heard a low growl from the man which quickly grew into a roar.

"NnnnnnnnnNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed, inches from her face, his eyes furious. The anger left his eyes, immediately replaced with regret and sorrow. There was another moment of silence.

"Garfield," Raven whimpered. "Garfield, please..." He stared at her, only now realising he had his hands on her shoulders. He relaxed his grip... Raven sighed in relief... he was going. Beast Boy looked down at the clock.

10 seconds.

He looked back at Raven, who was panicking again. Why was he still here? His breathing quickened.

5 seconds.

Raven was trying to physically push Beast Boy away now but, without her powers, he was far too strong. He took her head in his hands, placed a brief but passionate kiss on her lips and then wrapped his arms around her. Unable to resist now, she held him just as firmly. They both squeezed their eyes shut and whispered their love to each other over and over...

4...

3...

2...

1...

 **Whoa! Things got pretty intense there, right? Wait a minute... what's this? Jack doesn't do cliffhangers, does he?! Apparently, he does. Don't worry, though, the next part is on the way as well.**

 **-Jack**


	5. Chapter 5

**Heat In the Dark 5**

 **Diclaimer: Jack owns nothing.**

 **You don't care what I have to say, let's see what happens next!**

 **Fair warning, this chapter contains lots of naughty naughtiness with dangly bits.**

Cyborg ran down the street, finding cover for Starfire and himself. When he arrived, only then did he realise Beast Boy hadn't followed them. He peered around the corner and checked the timer on his own wrist: the bomb would only have 5 seconds reamining!

"B... BB...NO!" he cried as the timer hit zero...

Beast Boy cracked an eye open...he was still on the roof. Still in one piece, it seemed. Raven was huddled with him, shaking just as he was, but she cautiously began to look up as well. She held up the gauntlet so they could see the time...

00:01

In an abandoned parking lot, Nightwing stood, holding his ribs and spitting blood. He favoured his left leg, the right sporting a knife wound on the thigh. In his free hand, he held Slade's detonator which showed on its tiny display that he had stopped the count with only a second remaining. It was close and he was hurt... but he was filled with exultation. He had saved her. Like Raven, he had not forgotten about his promise to her to rescue Beast Boy. He had failed then and had been determined not to fail his friends again. And he hadn't. He looked down at his enemy, unconscious, bereft of his trademark mask and lying, face down, on the asphalt. The older man had bruises and cuts on his face and his left ankle seemed to be at an improbable angle. The rest of his injuries would become apparent when the man woke up. Nightwing realised with a start that this man, this enemy, held no fear for him... not any more. Now that he had beaten him, truly beaten him, he felt only grim satisfaction. After their last encounter, Nightwing had brainstormed with Batman and come up with a unique strategy for Slade, a strategy only a few people worldwide could use. During the fight, Nightwing disregarded his preferred fighting style and continually switched martial disciplines: fire off a karate kick, flip back into a capoeira sweep, fire his fists in a wing chun flurry... Even Slade couldn't keep up. Nightwing grunted as he pulled out his communicator, pushing a button that would call his entire team at once. After a few seconds, all four faces appeared on the little screen, looking bewildered and nervous.

"Slade," he said, wincing as his ribs protested. "Slade is down. Transmitting location now..." He closed the device and replaced it on his belt. He really wanted to sit down. But he still stood when Cyborg and Starfire appeared, followed a little later by Beast Boy and Raven. Starfire's strength was beginning to return and she ran to Nightwing's side to support him. Cyborg took the detonator and locked it safely away. A green hand took hold of Nightwing's shoulder, getting his attention. Beast Boy was staring at him in a way he had never seen before...

"Thank you," Beast Boy said quietly. "Thank you." Raven also leaned in and pecked Nightwing on the cheek, murmuring her own gratitude in his ear before returning to Beast Boy's embrace. Their leader was curiously unsettled by the attention but eventually smiled at them and replied simply:

"You're welcome."

A few hours later, the Titans found themselves aboard the JLA Watchtower, orbiting the Earth. Cyborg made the call. The T-Car could have got them all home but there was the larger problem of the magical gauntlet still stuck to Raven's arm, so they called for help. Nightwing lay in their infirmary accompanied by Starfire. Raven was sitting with Zatanna Zatara of the Justice League and Doctor Fate of the Justice Sociey as they attempted to remove the device. Beast Boy was there, naturally and so was Cyborg. After being forced to abandon her earlier, he was unwilling to let her out of his sight, though he and Beast Boy were currently required to keep their distance from the magic users. As they watched, the Enchantress arrived as well, bringing with her some magical artifacts. As the group pored over books and muttered forgotten spells, eventually, Doctor Fate happened upon the right spell: the gauntlet popped open and, to prove there were no ill effects, it was immediately caught and suspended by Raven's power. The device was disassembled, the explosive being safely detonated in a purpose-built chamber, and Raven confiscated this amulet as well. After Nightwing's treatment was finished (and he had finished 'debriefing' with Batman), the team returned to the teleporters and returned home.

The five Titans appeared in the common room, the lights flickering on automatically. Raven really, really wanted to go to her room... but she could sense the lingering anxiety in her friends. She looked at each of the Titans in turn - lingering slightly on Beast Boy - and smiled.

"Pizza?" she asked. Cyborg immediately and loudly agreed, reaching for the phone and simultaneously transmitting a 'return to base' command to the T-Car. Nightwing limped around the couch and gently lowered himself, sighing when he finally sat. Raven made herself a cup of tea while Beast Boy poured drinks for the others. Soon, they were sat around an impressive collection of pizza boxes eating, drinking and chatting. It was all small talk, no-one being particularly interested on talking about today...yet. Beast Boy moaned as Cyborg reminded them all of his vulnerability to Mad Mod's hypnosis. Starfire blushed and giggled while Nightwing chuckled when they recalled their first meeting where they had locked lips, all so Starfire could learn english. Raven rolled her eyes when they remembered the yellow dress and pigtails she wore under Mother May-Eye's influence. Cyborg blushed and scratched his head when they told stories of his robotic replacement constantly and inconveniently screaming 'Booyah!' while he was undercover in H.I.V.E. This carried on for the rest of the night. Raven noticed each of the team members sitting closer to her than usual, reaching out and touching her shoulder while telling stories or otherwise making contact. The subtle affection was overwhelming but extremely welcome, the warmth of it banishing the lump of ice that had settled in her stomach on that rooftop.

Later, after the supply of pizza had been exhausted, the Titans sat in a comfortable silence. It was getting late and Raven realised they were all waiting for her: none of them were willing to retire to bed before her. It was sweet. There was only one option.

"Well, I think I'm ready for bed. Goodnight everyone," Raven said. She paused when everyone, even Nightwing, stood with her. Cyborg approached her first, wearing his bracelet now, and pulled her into a gentle hug. She could feel his happiness, his relief and, most importantly, a burning spark of protective affection. Next came Nightwing, who hugged her far more cautiously, minding his injuries. He felt similar to Cyborg but Raven also sensed a shining pride in his actions today. She decided he was entitled to it and thanked him again. Starfire embraced her now, lifting her feet from the floor and spinning slowly. The joy she felt almost blinded Raven, it was so intense. After putting Raven back down, Starfire laughed while wiping tears from her eyes, then left the room with Nightwing, Cyborg leaving after them. Raven headed to her own room, shadowed by Beast Boy. Wordlessly, they entered her room and sat on the bed. He could tell she wanted to say something.

"Raven?" he asked. She sighed before speaking.

"We need to talk about what happened today." Raven could feel his reluctance. "I think we need to agree that if one of us is... hurt... then the other must... carry on. If I die..." Beast Boy's breathing became rapid and his eyes glistened. Raven continued: "If I die, Garfield... I want to know that you will try and live. Not just survive but _live_. I think we both need to make that promise." Sorrowfully, Beast Boy took Raven's hand in his, looking her in the eye and nodding, though the idea clearly made him miserable. She felt the same.

"I'll try, Rae," Beast Boy answered. "For you... I'l try." Raven leaned in and kissed him then, puling back to look in his eyes. Then they kissed again, more passionately. The kiss became more and more heated and the couple realised they were now lying on Raven's bed. Raven's cloak was thrown to the floor, shortly followed by their shoes and uniforms. They lay next to each other, wearing only their undergarments, staring into each other's eyes. This was it. They were as ready as they could be. They finally let themselves give in to what they wanted - each other. The last remnants of their clothes joined the rest and Raven luxuriated in the waves of adoration and desire that churned through Beast Boy's aura at the sight of her. The night was nothing like they expected, full of awkward questions and uncomfortable positions, limbs falling asleep and inappropriate giggling. It was flawed and new and very, very human - everything they had wanted. Tired and spent, they lay next to each other and grinned stupidly. Beast Boy lurched forward and kissed the tip of Raven's nose, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her close to his chest. They kissed again, more properly this time, the smiles never leaving their faces.

"I think I'm in love with you, Miss Raven," Beast Boy joked, rubbing her nose with his own.

"You are, Mr Logan, I can tell. I'm an empath, you know," Raven teased back. They both giggled at that, feeling their eyes begin to close...

"Wait!" said Beast Boy, urgently. "That bag... when did you get that?" he asked, referring to a bag from which Raven had produced a condom. The demoness blushed a little.

"That's what I went shopping for today. I sent it home before the fight started." Beast Boy grinned at her answer, deciding not to ask what else was in there. For now. They pulled each other close again and let sleep overtake them, each dreaming of the other and bright futures.

 **Well... that escalated quickly. This isn't the end but it is the end of the drama, so just sit back and enjoy. I may squeeze another few chapters if I think I have enough, I may just write one more. We can only wait and see. Thanks for reading, peeps!**

 **-Jack**


	6. Chapter 6

**Heat In the Dark 6**

 **Disclaimer: all these dudes belong to some other dude.**

 **Okay then! Let's be honest here, this chapter is probably gonna get pretty smutty. But! I'll be throwing in some more emotional consequences of Raven's near miss. Read on, visitor!**

Raven woke first, naturally. Beast Boy's sleeping form lay right next to her. Before last night, they had slept together (literally) and had grown used to sharing a bed but, all the same, seeing him so close on this particular morning brought a sleepy smile to her face. Half-awake as she was, she was slightly more prone to suggestion from her emotions. Happy, Love and Lust were whispering in her ear so, with a smirk, Raven started to pepper his chest with kissed.

"Unnnn... where... Rae? R- ... oooooh..." Beast Boy, woken by Raven's attention, looked sleepily down at her with a warm grin.

"Good morning, Garfield," she whispered. She planted one more lingering kiss on his chest before shuffling closer and kissing his lips.

"That's nice," he mumbled. "Anything I can do for you in return?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Raven pondered.

"Hmmm... there might be something," she muttered suggestively.

"Yeah?" he said, intelligently. Raven nodded again.

"Yeah... I think I'd like ceylon tea this morning. In a teapot, if you don't mind." With that, Raven rolled over and curled up in her blankets. Beast Boy appeared crestfallen... but after the events of yesterday, good and bad, Raven's merciless teasing was familiar and oddly reassuring. He quickly dressed in some sleepwear he had left in Raven's room and walked out the door to the kitchen. He sought out the correct tea and placed the bag in the teapot. Then, using a conventional kettle, he poured boiling water over the bag, replaced the lid and left it to brew for a minute. As his attention wandered, he saw Nightwing standing at the window, staring outside. He moved to join him.

"Hey... Dick." he said. Nightwing smiled, his blue eyes twinkling.

"Gar." he replied. The names felt good. Today felt like a day for real names. Beast Boy idly scanned the shore.

"What're you doing, anyway?" he asked.

"Starfire... Kory... got her flight back this morning," Nightwing answered, pointing up at the few clouds in the sky. Following his gaze, Beast Boy could now see a glowing, green streak flying through and around the clouds. Beast Boy smiled: he understood the simple pleasure of flying, though he doubted he could match Starfire's exhileration. Not only were her emotions generally more intense but she could fly many times faster than him and, in his mind, more speed equalled more fun. As he mused, the green flame began to descend rapidly, angling toward the tower. She puposefully flew past the window they boys stood at, close enough to touch the glass herself. Nightwing shook his head in mild disbelief as the panes rattled slightly.

"Dude..." Beast Boy started. "That girl is something else!" Nightwing nodded, grinning widely.

"She'll be landing on the roof. I'm gonna go meet her. See you later, Gar." Nightwing waved as he limped toward the roof access. Beast Boy caught up and grabbed his arm.

"Dick... I know we already said it but... Thanks. Thank you." Nightwing smiled, extracted his arm and clapped Beast Boy on the back. He seemed to struggle for words for a moment... then gave up, slapped Beast Boy's back again and resumed his journey to the roof.

Beast Boy returned to the kitchen, putting the kettle and a cup and saucer on a small tray and then returned to Raven's room. He knocked gently...

*TAP TAP TAP*

 **(A/N: This wil be the same period of time told from Raven's point of view.)**

Raven stepped into her shower, sighing as the water flowed over her. She smiled to herself as she recalled their night together. The first of many, she hoped. She completed her ablutions automatically, getting herself dried before Beast Boy got back. As she began to dress, Beast Boy returned and knocked.

"You decent, Rae?" he asked.

"Come in and see for yourself," she replied with deceptive nonchalance. He stepped in and gawked - Raven wore only her underwear, her bra still in hand. "Would you mind shutting the door? Just because I'm ready to let you see me this way doesn't mean the others get to join in." Almost violently, Beast Boy spun and struck the door control, turning back just as rapidly to stare unabashedly at Raven. She had put her bra on by now and he feigned disappointment.

"Awww... do you really need to dress? It's just us, Rae-Rae," he said, winking and grinning with humour, not really expecting anything. Raven looked at him, a challenge in her eyes.

"Well... I won't stop you if you want to-"

*BEEP BEEP BEEP*

The alarm rang, accompanied by the familiar red light. The couple blinked at each other for a moment, then Beast Boy's face twisted in frustration and despair.

"Ffffff...Fuck. FuckfuckfuckfuckFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUUUUCK!" Raven almost thought she saw a tear in his eye as Beast Boy cursed his luck. With a grumble, he turned and ran to his room to change. Raven, with an identical grumble, conjured her costume in an instant and headed to the common room...

It had been a fairly standard alarm, a hostage situation. With Raven's teleportation the hostage had been secured, leaving the others to easily subdue the perpetrator. Robin had insisted the team go together in the T-Car to strategize, so Beast Boy and Raven had sat in the back seat, with Starfire sat next to them. Their hands were together the hold trip, the tightness of their grip indicating their rising tension. As soon as the situation was in hand, Raven made an excuse about needing meditation, teleporting herself and Beast Boy home. The black raven appeared in Raven's bedroom but, instead of merely disappearing, it flared for a moment, spitting both of their uniforms to the floor. No time was wasted... their lips crashed together and their hands fisted in each other's hair. They ignored the bed and fell to the floor where they stood, Beast Boy blindly grabbing the bag containing the condoms. He broke contact with Raven to rifle through it. His face morphed in amazement when he discovered several other objects.

"Rae... what is all this?" he asked, unncecessarily. He knew what all of the objects were... wait. What was _that_ thing?

"I... got a little carried away," Raven whispered. "I thought, one day, we might want to try some things..." Beast Boy shook his head. Raven planned ahead for _everything_ , it seemed. He made a deliberate show of throwing items aside.

"Right now, I don't want any of that stuff. I just want _you_ , Raven..." This time was different. It was all still very new but there were fewer surprises as they expored each other. Raven gasped when she felt something land on her cheek, looking up at Beast Boy and finding tears streaming down his face. She touched one and he flinched away from her.

"Don't hold back, Garfield. Say what's on your mind," Raven encouraged. He broke a litte further, a few silent sobs causing him to tremble.

"I'm sorry Rae, it's just... yesterday. We... You almost... I almost lost you and... and..." he trailed off there but it had been enough. He looked to Raven as her hand stroked his hair.

"I know, Garfield," she murmured, voice cracking. "I _know._ " Everything changed again, becoming more about the connection than the pleasure. They held each other and continued cautiously, repeatedly exchanging kisses and words of adoration. Unwilling to separate afterwards, they stepped into the shower together and washed each other, though every time their eyes met it resulted in long moments of inactivity while they stared. They both knew, though neither said it, that last night had been their way of distracting themselves from the trauma of the day and tonight... those feelings had spilled out. Even so, neither of them could bring themselves to regret it. After they had showered, they dressed again. Raven moved to the bed, drawing Beast Boy with her, but he released her hand and made for the door.

"I'll be right back, Rae... I just gotta get something." Raven nodded as he scooted down the corridor. Raven sat on her bed, blushing: the room was still imprinted with the emotions they had projected today... they were wonderful. She realised with a grimace that she had to clean up.

"Feh... I'll worry about it some other time." she said to herself, simultaneously pleased and horrified that she had spoken something so... Beast Boy-ish! That same moment, the man himself returned, fumbling with something in his hands. As he sat beside her, Raven tried to get a look but was unable to tell what the package might be. It was a small, plain, cardboard box, a little battered and worn.

"Rae... I've been thinking over the past few days. I know we haven't really had a lot of time to do that but... yeah, I've been thinking. Thinking about what I want." Raven was inexplicably nervous... they had very clearly demonstrated their love for each other. Raven could even feel it! So why was he talking like this? Why wasn't he looking her in the eye?

"...Garfield?" Raven said, tentatively reaching for his hand. He allowed it, grasping the box in his right hand while Raven clutched the left. He finally looked at her... his smile was absent but his eyes shone with that sincerity that had caused her to fall for him in the first place. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out... then, deciding to show rather than tell, he opened the box. Raven gasped.

"This... was my mother's," Beast Boy explained. It was a ring of almost plain gold, adorned with a single diamond, small but beautiful. It was undoubtedly a wedding ring.

"It's beautiful, Garfield... but what-" Raven began, nervously, her voice trembling. Her own anxiety fed off Beast Boy's, which seemed to fill the room.

"I'm not proposing, Rae. Not really." He took a deeo breath. "But I still want you to have it."

"Garfield! I... I couldn't!" Raven protested. She couldn't take something so precious from him.

"Let me explain why, first, okay?" Beast Boy replied, a ghost of that smile that Raven loved so much appearing. "I know we haven't been together that long... but we've known each other for years. What I feel for you is something I've never felt before. I don't think I ever will again. In fact, I don't want to. I'm not proposing right now, not even a long engagement or whatever... but I want you to hold on to that ring as a promise. A promise that you will be the only woman I will ever give that ring to. So one day, when you're ready, just bring it to me and I'll put it on your finger for real." Raven was speechless... for a time.

"G-Garfield..." she whispered. He kept going, his gaze turning away as he stared into space.

"I don't remember a lot about my parents, Rae... but I remember this: I asked my Dad once why he married my Mom. All he said was that he knew when he looked at her. He just knew." Beast Boy's eyes found hers again, that sincere smile there in all its glory. "I _know_ , Rae. When I look at you, I _know._ " Beast Boy started to blur as Raven's eyes filled with tears. She had thought he had run out of surprises... then he does this! His hand left hers and moved to her shoulders, drawing her into an embrace. She wrapped both arms around him and held him tightly. For a long moment they stayed that way... then Beast Boy felt Raven move. One of her hands reached out to his right and gently grasped the box. He released it with no resistance. Raven released her grip on Beast Boy, now sitting straight and cradling the box with both hands, gazing at it in wonder. Eventually, she looked back up at Beast Boy's beaming face, biting her lip and wearing her own smile. Still unable to find the right words, she only nodded at him and watched his smile grow even larger. She carefully placed the box on her nightstand, then lay down on the bed with Beast Boy. They kissed lightly and, due to the physically and emotionally draining day they'd had so far, felt sleep creeping up on them. They weren't getting married. They weren't even engaged. But they had the promise.

And, more importantly, they had each other.

 **THE END**

 **Well, that's it for this little episode. Things got very deep for the pair. I wanted to show that, even though it wasn't necessarily bad considering how close they were anyway, even these guys can suffer a very human reaction to trauma. In this case, even though they discussed it (briefly!), they didn't completely deal with their emotional aftermath, instead rushing into sex to distract themselves. Feelings like that always come back, though. Those bottled emotions popped out in the end. They seem to be healing pretty well now, though lol. Is anyone surprised I ended up finishing an originally smutty story with gooey BBRae fluff? Cos I ain't :)**

 **P.S. The** _ **coitus interruptus**_ **was a stupid idea I had for funnies but then I thought the inevitable frustration might make them less guarded, leading up to the tearful little breakdown. I hope it worked!**

 **-Jack**


End file.
